Numerous racist letters addressed to Baseball Hall of Fame player Hank Aaron were sent to the Atlanta Braves organization during the past week, according to USA Today(external - login to view).

The Braves have received hundreds of letters, emails and phone calls in the aftermath of an interview Aaron gave to USA Today, published last week(external - login to view), in which he said there is “not a whole lot that has changed” in the country in terms of race relations and inequality since he broke Babe Ruth’s home run record 40 years ago. He told USA Today that he has kept old hate letters to remind himself of America’s continued racial issues. In the interview, Aaron also defended President Obama and criticized his political opponents.

The response from some harkens back to racism Aaron experienced during his quest to break Ruth’s home run record. Letters received by the Braves organization have featured racial slurs and hate-filled messages directed toward Aaron. From the USA Today story:

“Hank Aaron is a scumbag piece of (expletive) (racial slur)” a man named Edward says in an e-mail to the Braves front office and obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
Edward invokes the epithet five times in four sentences, closing with, “My old man instilled in my mind from a young age, the only good (racial slur) is a dead (racial slur).”

As USA Today writer Bob Nightengale points out, the racist response to Aaron’s comments coincides with Jackie Robinson Day, which celebrates April 15, 1947 as the day when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.Though a number (external - login to view)of media reports(external - login to view) have stated Aaron compared President Obama’s critics to the KKK(external - login to view), Nightengale denied that Aaron made such a link in their interview:

Never in our 50-minute conversation did Aaron suggest anyone critical of President Obama is racist. Never did he compare the Republican Party to the Klu Klux Klan.
Simply, Aaron stated that we are fooling ourselves if we don’t believe that racism exists in our country. It’s simply camouflaged now. And yes, he feels sorry for his good friend, President Obama, and the frustrations he endures.

Aaron has pushed to increase African-American participation in baseball, which has declined in recent years. Less than nine percent(external - login to view) of Major League Baseball players currently identify themselves as either African-American or black, a decline from an all-time high of 18.7 percent in 1981. The USA Today story notes that MLB commissioner Bud Selig — a friend of Aaron’s — has attempted to revive interest in the game among young African-Americans.

Re: Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

Apr 17th, 2014

African American participation in MLB has decreased for one major reason... the sharp increase in that of another ethnic minority.. Latinos. And it has nothing to do with racism.. they are just better and more passionate about the sport as an identifiable group. It's likely the most threatened ethnicity in baseball these days is caucasions (or 'European Americans'.. or whatever).

The race card has become such a bore. It's sooo.. 1960s & 70s.

eh1eh

#3

Re: Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

Apr 17th, 2014

Hank Arron is not African. He was born in Mobile Alabama in 1934.

gopher

No Party Affiliation

+2

#4

Re: Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

Apr 17th, 2014

Quote: Originally Posted by coldstream

African American participation in MLB has decreased for one major reason... the sharp increase in that of another ethnic minority.. Latinos. And it has nothing to do with racism.. they are just better and more passionate about the sport as an identifiable group. It's likely the most threatened ethnicity in baseball these days is caucasions (or 'European Americans'.. or whatever).

The race card has become such a bore. It's sooo.. 1960s & 70s.

The reason why there are so many more Latinos in MLB is because they turn pro by the time they are 15. In the USA we insist on having young people finish out school and even go into college. But people fail to realize that college actually destroys more pro careers than it creates. Europeans, Africans, Asians, and Latinos who play pro soccer never go to college. Their careers start at a much younger age than our footballers and this is why they are so much better in sports like soccer, baseball (for Latinos & many Asians), athletics (track & field), and other sports. Therefore, you are correct that in this particular matter, racism is not the problem. The continued insistence on forcing young people to stay in school (in marked contrast to the way it is done overseas) is the real problem.

Tecumsehsbones

#5

Re: Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

Apr 18th, 2014

Quote: Originally Posted by gopher

The reason why there are so many more Latinos in MLB is because they turn pro by the time they are 15. In the USA we insist on having young people finish out school and even go into college. But people fail to realize that college actually destroys more pro careers than it creates. Europeans, Africans, Asians, and Latinos who play pro soccer never go to college. Their careers start at a much younger age than our footballers and this is why they are so much better in sports like soccer, baseball (for Latinos & many Asians), athletics (track & field), and other sports. Therefore, you are correct that in this particular matter, racism is not the problem. The continued insistence on forcing young people to stay in school (in marked contrast to the way it is done overseas) is the real problem.

Umm. . . dafuq are you talking about? Your criticism would be valid for any major sport except baseball.

But the good news is you grabbed onto the diversion like a trout hitting a dry fly.

gopher

No Party Affiliation

+2

#6

Re: Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

Apr 18th, 2014

Actually, I am agreeing with coldstream who said racism was not the problem here. Having coached baseball for 20 years and working as a free lance reporter, I generally know what I'm talking about when it comes to that sport.

damngrumpy

No Party Affiliation

#7

Re: Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

Apr 19th, 2014

Racism is alive and well and that really can't be denied and it is a different racism
that threatens America.
whites still hate blacks and blacks in many cases hate Latino's and in turn they
hate blacks and more and more the Jews are disliked by other minorities. One
thing should be clear, it is some people hate each other and in the middle there
are any number of groups trying to get along. This kind of cross ethnic group
racism is a scary thing for when it boils over everyone will feel free to go after who
ever they please. America is more divided today than ever

Locutus

#8

Re: Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

Apr 19th, 2014

Quote: Originally Posted by damngrumpy

Racism is alive and well and that really can't be denied and it is a different racism
that threatens America.
whites still hate blacks and blacks in many cases hate Latino's and in turn they
hate blacks and more and more the Jews are disliked by other minorities. One
thing should be clear, it is some people hate each other and in the middle there
are any number of groups trying to get along. This kind of cross ethnic group
racism is a scary thing for when it boils over everyone will feel free to go after who
ever they please. America is more divided today than ever

the some of your story then:

some whites in many cases still hate some blacks and some blacks in many cases hate some Latino's and in turn in many cases they hate some blacks and more and more the Jews are in many cases disliked by some other minorities.

SLM

No Party Affiliation

+4

#9 Top Rated Post

Re: Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

Apr 19th, 2014

Quote: Originally Posted by Locutus

the some of your story then:

some whites in many cases still hate some blacks and some blacks in many cases hate some Latino's and in turn in many cases they hate some blacks and more and more the Jews are in many cases disliked by some other minorities.

Oh hell, I can sum it up even more.

Haters gotta hate.

Locutus

#10

Re: Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

Apr 19th, 2014

Quote: Originally Posted by SLM

Oh hell, I can sum it up even more.

Haters gotta hate.

well, some of them in many cases.

"C'est la vie" say the old folks
It goes to show you never can tell

SLM

No Party Affiliation

#11

Re: Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

Apr 19th, 2014

Tecumsehsbones

#12

Re: Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

Apr 19th, 2014

Quote: Originally Posted by gopher

Actually, I am agreeing with coldstream who said racism was not the problem here. Having coached baseball for 20 years and working as a free lance reporter, I generally know what I'm talking about when it comes to that sport.

OK, Hammerin' Hank never said racism was a problem in baseball, at least not in the player ranks, where talent is king. He said racism is a problem in American society.